Gazetteer

Lore & Background

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a 'gazetteer' as a 'geographical index or dictionary'. Echard wrote that the title was suggested by a 'very eminent person' whose name he chose not to disclose. Historian Robert C. White suggests this person was Edmund Bohun, who became associated with the Jacobite movement. Since the 18th century, the word has been used interchangeably to mean either a geographical dictionary or a daily newspaper, such as the London Gazetteer. Gazetteers are often categorized by type and scope. World gazetteers list countries alphabetically with statistics; short-form gazetteers, used with computer mapping and GIS, list place-names with coordinates. Descriptive gazetteers include lengthy textual descriptions, while thematic gazetteers list places by theme, such as fishing ports or nuclear power stations. Editors gather facts from official government reports, censuses, chambers of commerce, and other sources, organizing them in digest form. Ancient Greek gazetteers existed since the Hellenistic era. The first known Chinese gazetteer was released by the first century, and with print media in China by the ninth century, the Chinese gentry produced gazetteers for local areas as sources of information and local pride. The geographer Stephanus of Byzantium wrote a geographical dictionary in the sixth century, now missing parts, which influenced later European compilers. Modern gazetteers can be found in reference sections of most libraries and on the internet.

Reader's Guide

Gazetteers serve as essential reference tools bridging geography and cartography, providing structured information about places for navigation, administration, and scholarship. Gazetteers have evolved from manuscript lists to printed volumes and now digital databases, including those used in GIS systems. They remain vital for organizing geographical knowledge, supporting everything from academic research to practical map use. The legacy of early compilers like Stephanus of Byzantium and Edmund Bohun persists in modern reference works, while the term's dual meaning—geographical index and newspaper—reflects its historical connection to news dissemination.

Did You Know?

• The first known Chinese gazetteer was released by the first century, and by the ninth century the Chinese gentry produced them for local areas.
• Stephanus of Byzantium wrote a geographical dictionary in the sixth century that influenced later European compilers, though parts are now missing.
• Since the 18th century, 'gazetteer' has also been used to mean a daily newspaper, such as the London Gazetteer.